Evaluation of Remote Sensing and Meteorological parameters for Yield Prediction of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) Crop

Abstract In the Agriculture sector, the farmers need a reliable estimation for pre-harvest crop yield prediction to decide their import-export policies. The present work aims to assess the impact of remote sensing-based derived products with Climate data on the accuracy of a prediction model for the sugarcane yield. The regression method was used to develop an empirical model based on VCI, Historical Sugarcane Yield, and Climatic Parameters of 75 districts of six major sugar-producing states of India. The MOD13Q1 product of MODIS on Board Terra Satellite at 16-day intervals was accessed during the growing season of sugarcane crop with 36 meteorological parameters for experimentation. The accuracy of the model was evaluated using R2, Root Mean square Metric (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and mean square error (MSE). The preliminary results concluded that the proposed methodology achieved the highest accuracy with (R2 =0.95, MAE=5.18, MSE=34.5, RMSE=5.87). The conclusion of the study highlighted that the coefficient of determination can be improved significantly by incorporating maximum and minimum temperature parameters with Remote sensing derived vegetation indices for the sugarcane yield

Perceptions of Medical Students on Research Curriculum: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Medical colleges promote research by incorporating it into the curriculum, which enables students to acknowledge it as a career prospect. The aim of the study was to assess the perceptions of medical students on research curriculum. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 544 medical students (interns and post-graduates) at AIIMS Rishikesh in 2020. Data was collected thorough online self-administered questionnaire. A comparison between groups was made using the Mann-Whitney test or chi-square test p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 544 participants, 218 (40.1%) responded with complete data. The total median score for the self-perceived ability of study participants regarding performing the research tasks differed significantly between interns and post-graduates [29.5 (24.0–34.2) vs 33 (25.2–39.7), p = 0.03]. They suggested that mandatory research projects, workshops, and training should be included in the curriculum. Conclusion: Feedback from medical students regarding the need for guided research projects, hands-on training, and inclusion of research methodology as a course in UG curriculum and provision of support in the form of incentives, academic credits, and motivation are well noted and guide the resource faculties to modify their teaching and student support programs

Digital Twin for Accelerating Sustainability in Positive Energy District: A Review of Simulation Tools and Applications

A digital twin is regarded as a potential solution to optimize positive energy districts (PED). This paper presents a compact review about digital twins for PED from aspects of concepts, working principles, tools/platforms, and applications, in order to address the issues of both how a digital PED twin is made and what tools can be used for a digital PED twin. Four key components of digital PED twin are identified, i.e., a virtual model, sensor network integration, data analytics, and a stakeholder layer. Very few available tools now have full functions for digital PED twin, while most tools either have a focus on industrial applications or are designed for data collection, communication and visualization based on building information models (BIM) or geographical information system (GIS). Several observations gained from successful application are that current digital PED twins can be categorized into three tiers: (1) an enhanced version of BIM model only, (2) semantic platforms for data flow, and (3) big data analysis and feedback operation. Further challenges and opportunities are found in areas of data analysis and semantic interoperability, business models, data security, and management. The outcome of the review is expected to provide useful information for further development of digital PED twins and optimizing its sustainability

Solar integrated heating systems : Applications in buildings and industries

“Heat is half” of the global final energy consumption, and the decarbonization of the heating sector is critical to achieving climate goals. This thesis employs a system modelling approach to evaluate renewable heating systems. The overarching goal is to reduce fossil fuel reliance by integrating renewable energy technologies, such as solar thermal, photovoltaics, photovoltaic thermal, heat pump, and thermal energy storage in different system concepts. Two primary sectors are addressed: buildings, with a focus on utilizing solar collectors and heat pumps for heating systems in multifamily houses by recovery of waste heat; and industries, utilizing solar collectors for steam generation below 200 °C. The work is centred around five primary research questions, addressing the technical and economic feasibility of the mentioned technologies and their roles in decarbonization. Two system arrangements were simulated to address the heating demands of buildings: a) Centralized heat pump that utilizes ventilation air as a heat source, serving three multifamily buildings, and b) A fifth generation district heating system that utilizes industrial waste heat as its source. The techno-economic performance of these systems was evaluated. The results suggest that the economic viability of such arrangements largely depends on critical factors that include the costs of heat pump sub-stations, prevailing electricity prices, and the cost of waste heat. Incorporating solar air heating collectors and optimizing flow controls enhance both component and system energy efficiency. Moreover, integrating photovoltaic systems, up to a specific capacity, is advantageous as it offers reductions in heating costs. For industrial steam generation, the importance of the solar fraction in technological comparisons is highlighted. Parabolic trough collector and heat pump for steam generation are compared for 34 locations in the European Union, using solar fraction as an indicator. The results highlight the economic competitiveness of both technologies for a wide range of boundary conditions. However, heating costs from solar thermal collectors increase at higher solar fractions, primarily due to the storage costs. This trend sets an economic limit on the maximum feasible solar fraction. As a result, hybrid systems combining solar thermal collectors with steam heat pumps offer a promising combination to achieve a high renewable fraction for industrial applications. Concerns about CO2 emissions from the electricity grid, and its reliability in many countries, necessitate the exploration of alternative system concepts to meet a higher fraction of heating demand. One such novel energy system combines a parabolic trough collector, photovoltaic, and thermal energy storage (using water and sand as storage media) to reach a combined solar fraction of 90 %, while remaining cost-competitive with fossil fuels. The techno-economic performance of solar thermal collectors is system dependent, largely influenced by their integration within industrial systems. Two novel indicators are introduced to quantify the integration incompatibilities, offering insights into the dynamics for specific integration point. Using this method for a case study resulted in an optimized configuration, improving the overall system performance. Collectively, the results are expected to be leveraged by relevant stakeholders to advance the cause of heating decarbonization in buildings and industries

Solar integrated heating systems : Applications in buildings and industries

“Heat is half” of the global final energy consumption, and the decarbonization of the heating sector is critical to achieving climate goals. This thesis employs a system modelling approach to evaluate renewable heating systems. The overarching goal is to reduce fossil fuel reliance by integrating renewable energy technologies, such as solar thermal, photovoltaics, photovoltaic thermal, heat pump, and thermal energy storage in different system concepts. Two primary sectors are addressed: buildings, with a focus on utilizing solar collectors and heat pumps for heating systems in multifamily houses by recovery of waste heat; and industries, utilizing solar collectors for steam generation below 200 °C. The work is centred around five primary research questions, addressing the technical and economic feasibility of the mentioned technologies and their roles in decarbonization. Two system arrangements were simulated to address the heating demands of buildings: a) Centralized heat pump that utilizes ventilation air as a heat source, serving three multifamily buildings, and b) A fifth generation district heating system that utilizes industrial waste heat as its source. The techno-economic performance of these systems was evaluated. The results suggest that the economic viability of such arrangements largely depends on critical factors that include the costs of heat pump sub-stations, prevailing electricity prices, and the cost of waste heat. Incorporating solar air heating collectors and optimizing flow controls enhance both component and system energy efficiency. Moreover, integrating photovoltaic systems, up to a specific capacity, is advantageous as it offers reductions in heating costs. For industrial steam generation, the importance of the solar fraction in technological comparisons is highlighted. Parabolic trough collector and heat pump for steam generation are compared for 34 locations in the European Union, using solar fraction as an indicator. The results highlight the economic competitiveness of both technologies for a wide range of boundary conditions. However, heating costs from solar thermal collectors increase at higher solar fractions, primarily due to the storage costs. This trend sets an economic limit on the maximum feasible solar fraction. As a result, hybrid systems combining solar thermal collectors with steam heat pumps offer a promising combination to achieve a high renewable fraction for industrial applications. Concerns about CO2 emissions from the electricity grid, and its reliability in many countries, necessitate the exploration of alternative system concepts to meet a higher fraction of heating demand. One such novel energy system combines a parabolic trough collector, photovoltaic, and thermal energy storage (using water and sand as storage media) to reach a combined solar fraction of 90 %, while remaining cost-competitive with fossil fuels. The techno-economic performance of solar thermal collectors is system dependent, largely influenced by their integration within industrial systems. Two novel indicators are introduced to quantify the integration incompatibilities, offering insights into the dynamics for specific integration point. Using this method for a case study resulted in an optimized configuration, improving the overall system performance. Collectively, the results are expected to be leveraged by relevant stakeholders to advance the cause of heating decarbonization in buildings and industries

A Preliminary Optimisation and Techno-economic Analysis of Solar Assisted Building Heating System Using Transpired Air Solar Collector and Heat Pump in Sweden

This thesis presents an optimisation approach and techno-economic evaluation tool for a system consisting of a transpired solar air collector and air source heat pump in a series arrangement. The thesis also investigates the application of the developed tool for feasibility study of a solar heat pump system for a group of three multi-family houses located in Ludvika, Sweden.   Transpired solar air collector is used in combination with an air source heat pump to meet space heating and hot water demand for the defined location. Moreover, the solar pre-heated fresh air is used as a heat source for the heat pump evaporator to improve its coefficient of performance. Solar heat pump systems are extensively studied by numerous researchers, However the analyses about techno-economic feasibility of air source heat pump with transpired air solar collector are still lacking. Therefore, an optimisation tool is developed based on the non-linear programming for coherent operation strategy and variation in collector flow rate. The effect of optimisation along with the techno-economic feasibility for a demo case residential building in Sweden is then preliminary studied based on the defined boundary conditions.   The analysis is gradually progressed through several phases of thesis starting from system description and followed by tool methodology and case study. A pre-developed dynamic simulation model is used to obtain the space heating and domestic hot water demand of the building. The electricity expenses of the existing system are evaluated and the results are used as a reference to compare the savings resulting from the installation of transpired solar collectors with gross area of 50 m2.   The results are presented as a defined economic indicator such as payback period. The results of the simulation reflect that the installation of 50 m2solar collector area leads to 3 % savings compared to the defined reference case, with a simple payback of 22 years. Moreover, results also indicate that variation of collector flow rate and operation timings are effective strategies to maximise the system savings. The analysis reveals that the optimisation can result in up to 60 % additional savings in comparison to a fixed flow rate case.   The developed tool has a potential use for feasibility check at an earlier stage of the installation project, without the need for extensive system simulations. Moreover, the tool overcomes the shortcoming of various available tools such as RETscreen solar air heating project model, which are not designed to evaluate the performance of solar collectors with heat pump systems

Solar integrated heating systems: Applications in buildings and industries

“Heat is half” of the global final energy consumption, and the decarbonization of the heating sector is critical to achieving climate goals. This thesis employs a system modelling approach to evaluate renewable heating systems. The overarching goal is to reduce fossil fuel reliance by integrating renewable energy technologies, such as solar thermal, photovoltaics, photovoltaic thermal, heat pump, and thermal energy storage in different system concepts. Two primary sectors are addressed: buildings, with a focus on utilizing solar collectors and heat pumps for heating systems in multifamily houses by recovery of waste heat; and industries, utilizing solar collectors for steam generation below 200 °C. The work is centred around five primary research questions, addressing the technical and economic feasibility of the mentioned technologies and their roles in decarbonization. Two system arrangements were simulated to address the heating demands of buildings: a) Centralized heat pump that utilizes ventilation air as a heat source, serving three multifamily buildings, and b) A fifth generation district heating system that utilizes industrial waste heat as its source. The techno-economic performance of these systems was evaluated. The results suggest that the economic viability of such arrangements largely depends on critical factors that include the costs of heat pump sub-stations, prevailing electricity prices, and the cost of waste heat. Incorporating solar air heating collectors and optimizing flow controls enhance both component and system energy efficiency. Moreover, integrating photovoltaic systems, up to a specific capacity, is advantageous as it offers reductions in heating costs. For industrial steam generation, the importance of the solar fraction in technological comparisons is highlighted. Parabolic trough collector and heat pump for steam generation are compared for 34 locations in the European Union, using solar fraction as an indicator. The results highlight the economic competitiveness of both technologies for a wide range of boundary conditions. However, heating costs from solar thermal collectors increase at higher solar fractions, primarily due to the storage costs. This trend sets an economic limit on the maximum feasible solar fraction. As a result, hybrid systems combining solar thermal collectors with steam heat pumps offer a promising combination to achieve a high renewable fraction for industrial applications. Concerns about CO2 emissions from the electricity grid, and its reliability in many countries, necessitate the exploration of alternative system concepts to meet a higher fraction of heating demand. One such novel energy system combines a parabolic trough collector, photovoltaic, and thermal energy storage (using water and sand as storage media) to reach a combined solar fraction of 90 %, while remaining cost-competitive with fossil fuels. The techno-economic performance of solar thermal collectors is system dependent, largely influenced by their integration within industrial systems. Two novel indicators are introduced to quantify the integration incompatibilities, offering insights into the dynamics for specific integration point. Using this method for a case study resulted in an optimized configuration, improving the overall system performance. Collectively, the results are expected to be leveraged by relevant stakeholders to advance the cause of heating decarbonization in buildings and industries

Solar integrated heating systems: Applications in buildings and industries

“Heat is half” of the global final energy consumption, and the decarbonization of the heating sector is critical to achieving climate goals. This thesis employs a system modelling approach to evaluate renewable heating systems. The overarching goal is to reduce fossil fuel reliance by integrating renewable energy technologies, such as solar thermal, photovoltaics, photovoltaic thermal, heat pump, and thermal energy storage in different system concepts. Two primary sectors are addressed: buildings, with a focus on utilizing solar collectors and heat pumps for heating systems in multifamily houses by recovery of waste heat; and industries, utilizing solar collectors for steam generation below 200 °C. The work is centred around five primary research questions, addressing the technical and economic feasibility of the mentioned technologies and their roles in decarbonization. Two system arrangements were simulated to address the heating demands of buildings: a) Centralized heat pump that utilizes ventilation air as a heat source, serving three multifamily buildings, and b) A fifth generation district heating system that utilizes industrial waste heat as its source. The techno-economic performance of these systems was evaluated. The results suggest that the economic viability of such arrangements largely depends on critical factors that include the costs of heat pump sub-stations, prevailing electricity prices, and the cost of waste heat. Incorporating solar air heating collectors and optimizing flow controls enhance both component and system energy efficiency. Moreover, integrating photovoltaic systems, up to a specific capacity, is advantageous as it offers reductions in heating costs. For industrial steam generation, the importance of the solar fraction in technological comparisons is highlighted. Parabolic trough collector and heat pump for steam generation are compared for 34 locations in the European Union, using solar fraction as an indicator. The results highlight the economic competitiveness of both technologies for a wide range of boundary conditions. However, heating costs from solar thermal collectors increase at higher solar fractions, primarily due to the storage costs. This trend sets an economic limit on the maximum feasible solar fraction. As a result, hybrid systems combining solar thermal collectors with steam heat pumps offer a promising combination to achieve a high renewable fraction for industrial applications. Concerns about CO2 emissions from the electricity grid, and its reliability in many countries, necessitate the exploration of alternative system concepts to meet a higher fraction of heating demand. One such novel energy system combines a parabolic trough collector, photovoltaic, and thermal energy storage (using water and sand as storage media) to reach a combined solar fraction of 90 %, while remaining cost-competitive with fossil fuels. The techno-economic performance of solar thermal collectors is system dependent, largely influenced by their integration within industrial systems. Two novel indicators are introduced to quantify the integration incompatibilities, offering insights into the dynamics for specific integration point. Using this method for a case study resulted in an optimized configuration, improving the overall system performance. Collectively, the results are expected to be leveraged by relevant stakeholders to advance the cause of heating decarbonization in buildings and industries

Non-surgical management of a mutilated maxillary central incisor with open apex and large periapical lesion

A 24-year-old female patient reported with a mutilated maxillary left central incisor. The coronal tooth structure remaining was very less, discolored, and brittle. She gave history of trauma about 15 years back when the tooth got fractured. An intraoral periapical radiograph revealed an open apex and a large periapical lesion. The case was managed successfully by conservative means using intracanal calcium hydroxide and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) apical barrier followed by a fiber post and a core. The final crown restored back esthetics and function. A 6-month follow-up demonstrated a clinically asymptomatic and adequately functional tooth, with radiological signs of healing